Sexual & General Health
Guides for GPs and general practice staff
Likely benefits
The following table has a number of examples which highlight the patient diversity of a general practice. Each one explains a few simple measures that can be taken with a patient, and illustrates the benefits that can be achieved simply by thinking differently about your patients' needs.
| Some benefits which might be achieved through some simple measures | |
|---|---|
| The patient | What you could easily achieve |
| A young man who is depressed and bullied at school for reasons unknown to his family. He has not yet come to terms with his sexuality, has told no one and thus has no one to turn to. | He is encouraged to talk and his depression is understood in the context of his isolation. This leads to a referral to a local counselling project which alleviates his suicidal feelings. |
| An isolated, older, widowed male patient who is depressed. | The patient responds to a 'happy to discuss anything' signal in the practice publicity and discovers that there are support groups for bisexual men. |
| A young gay man on the brink of beginning sexual activity understands what safer sex means in principle but not what temptations he is liable to encounter in practice. | After checking his basic knowledge he is referred to the local HIV prevention project where he has an opportunity to explore situations where he might be tempted into unsafe sex and what he can do to prevent such situations. |
| A newly formed gay couple are planning to abandon condoms because they are in love | They are alerted to the complexities of negotiated safety, given an appropriate booklet, and persuaded to have a couple-counselling session with the health adviser at the GUM clinic. |
| A patient wanting HIV antibody testing and counselling. | The patient is referred to the GUM clinic in order to have a much clearer and more up-to-date understanding of the possible benefits of an HIV antibody test, including access to improved combination therapy. |
| A patient who adopts a selection strategy and believes he needs no protection if he only has sex with local men. | He reconsiders the safety of this strategy and finds out about a local safer sex workshop for gay men designed to encourage safer strategies. |
| A patient who has not yet thought about the importatnce of carrying condoms and lubricant with him when he visits the big city for sexual weekends. | The patient is referred to the local gay men's health project which offers him supplies of stronger condoms and lubricant and supports him in his resolve. |
| A patient who has a very active sex life with a number of partners and thinks safer sex designed to protect him from HIV will also protect him from all sexually transmitted diseases. | The patient is advised that safer sex is designed to protect against HIV which is much less infectious than Hepatitis and he is offered vaccination against Hepatitis A and B. |
| The parents of a gay teenager who has just 'come out' to them may be experiencing anxiety, isolation, grief and guilt. | The family is referred to a local (or national) support group for families of gay teenagers. |
| A heterosexual patient who is distressed by his sexual dysfunctional problems. | The patient benefits from discreet sexuality-friendly signals and guarantees of confidentiality in the practice publicity. He is able to disclose his problems and is successfully referred. |